Helmet mask "sowei" ("ndoli jowei" / "nòwo") ·  Sierra Leone, Mende · ID: 3051678

Description

wood, black patina,

The life of the Mende is regulated by a number of initiation societies. The most important are the “poro” society of men and the “sande” (or “bundu”) society of women. The main aim of the “sande” is to prepare girls for marriage and motherhood.

At the final initiation ceremonies, the newly initiated are led through the village by a masked figure called “ndoli jowei” (“the sowei who dances”). This masked figure is believed to embody the guardian spirit of the “sande”- society, called “ngafa”.